Trevis Gipson couldn’t get a Division I program to offer him a scholarship as a high school player in the Dallas area until the Tulsa coaches saw something they just couldn’t resist.
He was a pass rusher, but brought the quickness and athleticism of a basketball player. The problem was that he also had the body of a basketball player at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, which was why most scouts believed he was too small for major college football.
But if Gipson was willing to be as relentless about bulking up as he was about charging into the backfield, Tulsa’s staff saw potential.
“He had a great frame to build on, but there needed to be some work on top of that,” coach Philip Montgomery said. “And he was very disciplined about how he needed to add weight and did a great job of that.”
He certainly did. Gipson put on close to 60 pounds over his five years with Tulsa and caught the Bears’ attention with a breakout senior season of 15 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, and two forced fumbles. They took him in the fifth round at No. 155 overall and plan to groom him in one of the NFL’s best defenses.
Gipson is still underdeveloped and will be a project, but he checks all the boxes of a project worth undertaking. His natural ability will take him a long way, but he also has a reputation for being willing to do whatever is asked of him. Montgomery called him one of the best leaders he has ever coached.
He’ll be a follower now, growing under the guidance of defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and expert pass rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Gipson primarily played defensive end at Tulsa, but is expected to work at outside linebacker in the Bears’ 3-4 defense.
“The things I liked about him were that he’s athletic and long — things you just can’t coach,” said ESPN analyst Rene Ingoglia, who was on the broadcast team for a Tulsa game each of the last two seasons. “He’s kinda raw, so he’s still learning, but he’s got a great first step off the edge and that’s phenomenal. Once he learns a couple moves, he’s gonna be a great selection for the Bears.
“He was also the captain of his team and one of their hardest working players. Sometimes you get guys who think they’re better than they really are, and I don’t think he’s like that. If he develops into what I think he can be, you’ve got a home run.”
Everything Montgomery and Ingoglia described was clear to Bears general manager Ryan Pace during a pre-draft Skype session with Gipson.
“Some guys come across just natural and authentic in their interviews, and I think Gipson definitely did,” Pace said. “You could feel the hunger in his voice, the drive and the desire to be great, the passion... You just felt that in the way he talked.”
